Any Other Love Story
by jadoremwpp
Summary: Really, this is like any other love story. But with a little more magic... LEJP, summer of 6th7th year.
1. Prelude

This is like any other love story. Boy meets girl. He courts, he woos, he falls in love. Eventually, she's pulled in to the whole crazy scheme and there's your true love at last. It's special, of course, but only to them and maybe a friend or two. But that's where this story differs.

They fell in love in a war. Except, he was not the dashing soldier and her the fading belle. It wasn't that kind of war. They were fighters, eventually, but not when they tumbled; when they tumbled they were just silly teenagers. Yet their love went on to become impassioned propaganda, in a twisted kind of way, and they became the shining couple, the hope. What followed was the tragic hero's death that took them desperately young. But that's all following our story.

Put yourself in summer, a particularly lovely summer and of course the birds are singing sweetly and romance is glistening in the air. Imagine four teenagers, on the brink of adulthood, all of them restless with a war overhead but still young enough to forget it. Then envision a boy and a girl, completely incompatible. Well, there's your beginnings.

And really this is just like any other story. But with a little more magic…

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_And thus a possible beginning. Like? Hate? Review and tell me why! _


	2. A Similar Beginning

**Disclaimer:** _You can sue me but I own nothing._

**Chapter One: A Similar Beginning**

It was the summer holidays of 1977 and two Gryffindors, looking into their 7th Year, woke up in a bed that was not their own. Neither seemed remotely surprised by this and hastened to take their habitual early morning shower and dress, eager to spend another sun filled day, free of school. Both the two rushed down a flight of stairs, entered a kitchen and yawned hello at their best friend. They both poured themselves a glass of Adam Pomkey's _Ever Fresh – Squeezed-As-You-Pour _apple juice and glanced out the window, welcoming the new day with a content smile. The two popped some toast and layered it with various spreadings, then preceded to make plans for the day, chattering happily with their companion. Both these students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were having the summer of their lives, seeping up every bit of enjoyment they could before the hard year of work that would surely follow.

One of these people was Lily Evans, seventeen that summer and enjoying the free reign she now had with her magic. She was staying at her closest friend Emmeline Vance's house for the majority of the holidays, flooing home occasionally to please her parents. After six years in the magical world Lily, a Muggleborn, found three months without magic hard to bear and had quickly made plans with Emmeline the year before in order to avoid this horror. There was also the problem of her sister, Petunia, who screamed at the sight of her and appeared convinced Lily was the spawn of the devil. While Lily loved her parents and felt a certain attachment to the house of her childhood, she preferred to avoid being called freak twenty times a day in varying tones of hatred.

Lily's emerald eyes, her most drastic feature, flicked to her best friend Emmeline who was currently tasting all the muggle cereals Lily had brought from home. Emmeline was a pure blood and muggle things were practically foreign, impressing her almost as much as the wizarding bits and bobs that took their place naturally in her home delighted Lily. Her hair was presently pulled back into a messy bun, both in style and state, bits of dark blonde and light brown hairs sticking out at odd angles and Lily had a sudden urge to pass her a brush, even if the girl would never use it. Emmeline took the stand that if you wasted time on appearance it would backfire and you'd look all the worse. She had reason, Melinda Gushen woke up an hour earlier than the other girls in their dorm at Hogwarts for make up purposes and she looked like a powdered toad. All the same, Lily didn't think it would hurt her to brush her hair on a regular basis.

The red-haired girl finished her last piece of toast and plomped her elbows onto the table, waiting for Emmeline to tire of her cereals, dreaming of the day to come.

The other Gryffindor was James Potter, a young man who's black hair had a mind of it's own and practically never lay flat, let alone neat. His fingers followed a well known crease on the breakfast table he'd made when he was six and fiddling with his father wand. He nudged Sirius Black, the only other young person in the house and also his best friend; practically adopted brother, really. The shock of the attack caused Sirius to knock over his muselli and only some quick wand work saved it from hitting the tiled floor. Sirius, not bothering to return the food to it's bowl, levitated it into his mouth, making it dance in the air between bites.

Sirius spent all the summer holidays at James' and the Christmas and Easter and any other holidays they were lucky enough to have. He had run away from home, been disowned and held a mountain of hatred for his direct blood relatives. Besides, as he said, the food was better at the Potters. James grimaced at Sirius's muselli antics (he was now making yoghurt and muselli people waltz) and made a fuss of sitting down, cracking his neck and rubbing his back slowly. This morning ritual sprung from James' parents insistence that Sirius slept in James' bed and James on a trundle, Sirius being 'The Guest'. It wasn't that the trundle was uncomfortable, it became magically a four poster King each night, but James thought that when Sirius practically lived at their house and the Potters claimed him as their second son, he didn't deserve guest rights. Sirius explained it was because they liked him better. James often feared he was, for once, correct. Sirius remained, as he often reminded James, better looking than him and James had always suspected his parents were shallower than they let on. Nevertheless, when Sirius had suggested in jest that, as he was their 'son-in-love' and older than James he should be made their official heir he'd been laughed at something terrible, leaving James with a satisfied grin and him with a goofy smile. While Sirius was loved and fussed over, James held his place as The Son.

James waltzed a muselli person into his mouth after finishing his toast, trying to get his friend to eat faster. His anxiety to get outside into the inviting sun and gentle breeze that made their way across his grounds was evident.

If these two young people knew how similar their mornings had been, they would have been unpleasantly shocked. Lily Evans and James Potter shared a feeling often called mutual dislike. At school, they didn't yell at each other in the corridors (often) and they didn't hold large, disrupting prank wars against one another and James wouldn't really think to curse the girl and Lily kept her temper most of the time. But they made an effort never to be caught sitting next to each other in class, at the table, in the common room or worse _paired _together by some foolish Professor. If one of Lily's friends started to talk to one of James' while in the presence of both Lily and James the two always managed to slip off rapidly, reappearing only when the other was several hundred metres away, or at least distracted. Lily would occasionally make harsh remarks, James was always the first to laugh when Lily made a fool of herself, they constantly searched for things to criticize in the other, but it never reached tears or embarrassing scenes that set the school talking. In the holidays absolutely no contact was made between the two, unless through friends, that was a given.

Until Forth Year they had been indifferent, never too close because the boy-girl barrier hadn't completely fallen down and long conversations with the opposite sex led to teasing and giggles. They were more 'good acquaintances', friendly because they shared a common house. Lily had lent the boy books a few times and James had once jinxed a Slytherin who stuck his nose up at Lily's tainted blood. "All in Gryffindor spirit," he'd said. Lily would sit next to him if they were both early to breakfast and she could see no other classmates without a whim and James didn't mind walking to class with her if they both happened to be together at the bell. However, James made the stupid mistake of falling for Lily and after that it was frankly all downhill.

Lily, at first; lightly rejected him, her intentions elsewhere. "Oh, James, that's sweet… but I kind of like someone else." James, not believing his charm could be resisted for too long asked again and again, eventually reverting to, "Who?" "Hmmm? Oh, you don't know him, I wouldn't think…", his questions getting more and more insistent as time went on and Lily more and more exasperated. "He's not a, a _Muggle_, is he?" "Why should it even _matter_, James? Can't you go pester Sirius? I need to finish our charms reading…"

His attempts all fruitless James relented after a shouting scene at the end of their fifth year and moved on to new girls, none of them _redheads_. However, he was never quite able to shake his hurt pride at Lily's countless rejections. Lily, who was sick of James by then and his constant questioning, noticed this resentment and quickly returned it with her own mocking glares and harsh words. And thus the two grew further apart and any amity they'd ever shared was lost behind their 'mutual dislike'.

The last few months of their Sixth Year had been spent blatantly ignoring each other, a mask of polite formalities put up if the need be. Their friends, who didn't see why the two couldn't get on, were relieved to stop having to look away awkwardly when an insult was dropped and secretly hoped the two would make up and the cold shadow that beat down on them when the sixth years hung out would disappear. They weren't quite sure if ignoring was the first step towards this, but there was always a chance.

Any amount of dislike could not change the fact that as Lily and James head outside, accompanied by Emmeline and Sirius respectively, they both asked the same question.

"When do you think the Hogwarts letters will be coming?" They'd been informed before leaving the school that the letters would arrive as early as possible, giving everyone plenty of time to acquire new supplies in the uncertain days. A Dark Lord had risen, posing a constant threat to all who opposed him or got in his way. Because of him, life was changing, the early letters the least of it. James hardly saw his father who was high up in the Ministry of magic and needed at work all hours of the day. He knew it was affecting his mother. Not just the lack of her husband but the danger he was in, and she had her own work to accomplish alongside the worries. Lily, having Muggle parents, something that disgusted the self titled Lord and his followers, was considered a target. Although she knew she was as safe as possible at Hogwarts, she couldn't help feeling a chill in her spine when she was alone or he was mentioned. The continuous news of deaths and attacks were enough to frighten anybody into sleepless nights, Gryffindor or no.

But the summer had been quiet so far and the presence of friends drove noble thoughts and fears from their minds, replacing them with laughter. Neither could ever quite forget the dark threat that lay over them but, all things considered, they were doing a very good job of it.

"It's only been two weeks…" said Emmeline absently as Sirius shrugged his shoulders and continued down a worn dirt path.

"Why?" asked Emmeline, examining a Muggle magazine she'd left on the bench in her garden a few days before. The previous day's rain had made the ink run, a phenomenon Emmeline couldn't understand.

"Head Girl!" exclaimed Lily, "It could be either of us or one of the other girls… I mean, we weren't prefects but Clarine's changed since fifth year and they _wouldn't_-" she stopped herself, not wanting to say anything hurtful about a girl she liked. Lily was noted for her bouts of honour that lasted anything from minutes to weeks, giving her a slightly hypocritical reputation among those who thought about things like that.

"You mean _you _might get it," Emmeline said, "They'd never be stupid enough to give the badge to me. For one thing, I'd lose it before the first Prefect meeting…" Emmeline couldn't keep anything important for more than three seconds. She had a collection of interesting and bizarre objects throughout her room, but though these were fun to search through and look at they were, in essence, junk. She probably held the record number of detentions for lack of homework as she was always losing it.

"You could always attach it to your robes with a Permanent Sticking charm." Lily joked, wondering what the house elves would think of that. The girls giggled as they though up new and more and more stupid ways for Emmeline to keep her Head badge, if it came that way. The left the garden through an old oak gate with magic symbols decorating it, nonsense to Lily but full of delicate meaning to Emmeline's trained Ancient Runes eye. They entered a small wood that hid Emmeline's house from Muggle view and began to stroll, walking where ever their legs decided to take them.

James had also brought up the subject of Head students, though for an entirely different reason. He and Sirius were near a small pond on his estate and the sunlight was playing with their faces through the towering trees.

"Who do you think'll get Head?" he said offhandedly, trying to draw Sirius's attention away from the song he was currently humming.

"Lily?" Sirius guessed, singing the name in the same tune as his hum. James sighed, Sirius could be impossible. "And perhaps that Ravenclaw prefect with the accent…"

"Evans?" James said doubtingly, "Even if she had the necessary qualities she'd be a sitting duck for Voldemort. Hogwarts, Dumbledore _and _a Muggleborn all in one go. Anyway, no one in their right mind would choose _her_." He kicked at a stone in front of him which promptly turned into a small, elf-like creature, bit his shoe and ran off.

"Morphamog," Sirius said, his eyes following the knobbly creature until it became a flower near a rustling bush. He ignored the comment about Lily, he was used the the occasional derogatory remark, though he had thought that James had been easing off lately… "Imagine if they made one of us Head Boy!"

James laughed, his hazel eyes lighting up at the mere thought of such folly. "That'd be enough to prove old Dumbly's crazy as a drunken ant."

They walked a little while in companionable silence, waiting for something to appear they could amuse themselves with for the day. To a normal boy, this might have seemed a bit of a waste of time, but Sirius and James, both with a knack for trouble and in the grounds of a wizard usually managed to tumble into something or other.

"My dad was Head Boy," James muttered, not meaning much by it but unable to keep a little resentment out of his voice. He knew his dad had expectations he couldn't fulfil, it was like that in most pure blood families. Look at Sirius, he thought, at lease you _have _a dad, a dad who loves you… When James hadn't got prefect his father had lectured him for long, painful hours about lack of responsibility and disrespect for his status as Potter heir. His ears had regained their full hearing power since but the echoes of the burning words still managed to trickle their way back in every now and then.

Sirius provided a distraction in the form of falling down a large hole that James habitually went round but Sirius seemed to have been oblivious to. He rushed to help and/or laugh at his friend, all thoughts of Head Boys and blood lines blown away on the cooling breeze.

It was five in the evening when all four of the teenagers returned from a day of barrack and blithe. It had been the type of day where nothing particularly remarkable happens so when you look back on it you can't quite place you finger on why you feel so fond. The type of day where you've really _lived _and while some may say every minute was wasted you know how wrong they'd be, you wouldn't sacrifice a second of it. It had been a day and a half, the sort where you come back fatigued and you don't know why and all you want to do is reflect, share a last moment with a friend to make it perfect.

Lily and Emmeline had been into the nearest Muggle town and Lily had shown Emmeline the wonders of a Muggle picnic, a much quieter and less showy event than the wizard one. They'd bought supplies and explored the whispering forest for a perfect spot, feeling like ten year olds as they linked arms and skipped down a hidden path, giggling at everything that took their fancy.

Lily and Emmeline shared a love of childlike days. They could have fun in any situation but they loved to spend time playing in the sand, looking for tadpoles, running until they fell in a heap of giggles. Their friends said it was because they were immature but in their hearts the two girls knew it was more a hopeless attempt to cling onto that which was innocent. When you heard the witch you once sat next to on the Knight Bus had been murdered, you wondered if it was possible to run as if you were free, would that onerous weight never lift? Lily and Emmeline never said it out loud, but spending a day looking for seashells gave them hope.

James and Sirius had discovered buried treasure disguised as a room. Sirius, in his clumsiness (something he delighted in as he'd been trained for grace since childhood and never mastered it, he thought of his bunglesome ways as a strike at his family), had bumped into a wall of the hole when he'd been attempting to levitate out, only to discover an ancient door, previously covered by a layer of packed dirt. Behind the door had been a room, a large and almost empty space, but for the shadows and some shelves on the farthest wall, filled with strangely shaped vases. The boys had promised themselves they'd return subsequently with their other half, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, and spend a night in the underground cavern, sure to have merriment because they were together.

A surprise was waiting for these four students when they reached their various houses. Four owls, each with a letter firmly attached, were waiting to deliver their news and be tipped with feed before returning to take up fresh tasks.

Lily and Emmeline gave their birds some mouldy Owl Treats (Emmeline couldn't find the new box) and smoothed their feathers over, trying to earn forgiveness for such a gloomy payment. They then removed the owls burden and sent them on their way. Emmeline ripped open her letter before Lily had even had time to look at her own and without delay dumped everything onto the nearest table.

"What do you know! No shiny badge, and I was so hoping for a new earring" she said, making a reference to their earlier jokes. She sifted through the papers, examining each one in turn. "Whoa, the booklist is huge this year. Six for Advanced Charms, Lil, Six! I knew I shouldn't have let you talk me into the subject. Useful my arse. Look; there's even one called _Freaky and Outlandish Charms You Never Knew You Knew! _I can't see that being useful. Interesting, I'll admit, but useful?" She continued to chatter as she looked over her letter, or, in this case, letters, about the Dark Arts pamphlets (Has anybody ever actually _learnt_ something from these?), new compulsory lessons (As if we won't have enough work! Yet another reason to hate old Voldie), the massive load of books (Can you show me that stitching charm again, Lils? My bag is going to be breaking perpetually this year!) and how it _so _meant they were going to be worked to death and how that _so_ wasn't fair. Lily, however, hadn't opened her letter. Her hands were trembling, scarcely, but still trembling, as she held it.

"Li-ly," sung Emmeline, "The suspense is absolutely killing me. Open it. That lump could be a badge! Or this handy yoyo they sent us this year, look, it's got the Hogwarts crest on it and all." She gestured to a red lump of plastic on the table; "Lily, open it. What's the worst that could happen?"

Lily said nothing, her mind racing with terrible thoughts in which the letter told her she was no longer a witch and not welcome at the school. Don't be ridiculous, it's just the position you're worried about and it's not really _that _important, she scolded and moved her hands to the wax seal, peeling it open.

"Good. Now tip everything onto the table," Emmeline encouraged, "Here, I'll move my stuff. I can't understand how it gets so far…" She shoved her papers to the side, sending leaves to the floor as she did so. Lily nodded and unfroze herself, turning her letter upside down and letting it's contents fall in a way that was decidedly un-Lily-like. Emmeline began to shift through the mess, bits flying all over until she emerged with a shriek.

"Regard!" she said, making theatrical gestures as she held up her prize, "The shiny, shiny badge of this years Head Girl, our very own - drum roll please, Jinks - _Lily Evans_!" She began to applaud and then leapt into Lily's arms. Lily, a small girl, was knocked onto the floor but the surprised enthrallment on her face was not lost on Emmeline.

"Congratulations, Lil," she said, more delicately, knowing her friend was in a kind of shock. She waited for the outburst that could soon come, a smile, genuine and amused posed on her lips.

"You're _not_ serious!" Lily yawped, her voice getting louder and more excited with each word, "Oooh, let me see it! I didn't really… I mean, I'd hoped, but… Oh, I can't _wait_ to show my parents. And Petty, she'll be _ghastly!_ Where's the letter? Em, how on Earth do you manage to -" she paused as she pulled out from behind her own tawny yoyo a piece of aged parchment. Her eyes darted over the words, brilliant with cheer at her new position.

"Well?" demanded Emmeline, "And it says?"

"Same old, same old. Good marks, responsibility (at this Emmeline snorted), strength in the face of danger… where'd they get that from? I wonder if there is a standard letter for this sort of thing…" Lily passed the letter to Emmeline then moved onto her other information, the badge clasped securely in her hand. There was a smile Emmeline suspected might be infinitely fastened to her face that summer.

"Em," Lily said suddenly, "_Head Boy._" The look she gave her confidant told of worries for the candidate. Lily didn't work well with people she disliked. In fact, she didn't work at all. If her partner was someone who was, in her eyes, distasteful, she'd be in for a hard year of fights and lost time.

It is for this trait of Lily's we move to James, who was at that moment standing in his kitchen, a look of disbelief advancing steadily onto his features. He was holding his open letter in one hand and a slip of parchment in the other, his eyes flying between the two, checking his name, rereading the inconceivable words, each time flapping the paper as if it would change them, as if they were a joke; words so fake they'd tumble off the note at the feeblest movement.

Sirius hadn't noticed his chum's strange reaction to their customary school letter. He was tinkering with a crossword that had apparently come in his letter.

"I love the presents they put in these," he said to no one in particular as he placed "slabber" on the grid in response to "to smear carelessly". "What's a ten letter word for _a wizened man with a weakness for sherbet lemons? _Do they even have a word for that? Wouldn't sherbet lemons be some kind of edible good?" Sirius put the crossword aside and took up another sheet to engross himself with. James didn't answer, his eyes and mind couldn't leave the unorthodox parchment his hand grasped. Several minutes passed before Sirius realised his typically bright and bouncy associate was being unusually silent.

"Jamsie, my love," he said, jumping up and covering the other boy's eyes, "I'm not letting you see until you tell me why you're frozen to the spot and not helping me set up this Muggle game we've been sent." James struggled half-heartedly and thrust the scrap of paper at his adversary.

"Sirius," he croaked, "I think I'm going to faint." Sirius quickly read what was making his friend so agitated. He gasped, a small, incredulous noise and let the paper flutter to the floor.

"James," he murmured, "I think I might too."

* * *

_Alors? Like? Dislike? Drop a review and tell me anything that crosses your mind!_


	3. Letters

**Disclaimer:**_ See previous. Or read one of the many others scattered about. They all say much the same thing, n'est-ce pas?_

**Letters**

A tall girl was standing in the middle of a living room, her determined look made fierce by the mass of fire on her head. She was almost pacing in her agitation, picking up objects and fiddling with them for a few seconds before replacing them with a bang. A blue-eyed girl on the couch was watching her, amused. The grin on this girl's face was only serving to irritate the pacer, who threw the occasional death glare in protest. The redhead searched a pile of newspapers until she found the day's, her eyes scanning it rapidly, tension building as she failed to obtain the information she searched.

Finally, after much disquiet, she broke. "_Emmeline_! Is there absolutely _no_ way we can find out?!" She threw her vexation into the words and if the other girl wasn't used to he companion's outbursts she may have flinched. The girl, Emmeline, instead kept her face placid, purely to annoy. She met the distressed gaze with a cheerful one, hey eyes twinkling with laughter at how ridiculous the situation was. Her friend got worked up so easily, it never failed to tickle her. A tinkling noise sounded through out the room, the result of a broken glass and Emmeline decided to speak before anything else had a chance to low apart. Getting Head Girl hadn't yet given her friend control.

"I told you, Ja -"

"I'm not asking him for _anything_," said the redhead defiantly.

"Well if you want to know, Lily…" Another green glare.

"Why _James_, Em?" Lily complained, "_Anyone _but him."

"I've told you all this. James' father knows everything that goes on in the wizarding world, especially when it relates to his son."

"You don't think… James…" Lily said sceptically, her fingers finding a red curl to twirl like they always did when she was aggrieved. She was fighting the strong desire to find out her partner and the disgrace of asking James Potter for help.

"I wouldn't worry, there hasn't been Heads of the same house for centuries. But if it is then writing to him will get us the info and if it isn't you can bet your bottom Sickle his father will have 'talked' to him about it," Emmeline explained. Lily twirled her fire faster and faster as she argued inwardly. If Emmeline writes the letter he needn't ever know it was me who wanted to know; me who, God forbid, _asked_. But he's _James Potter_, he'll find out _somehow_ and I'll _never _live it down. Oh but I _want_ to know so much, I _have_ to know, I _need_ to make plans and prepare and…

"How could his father have expected James, of all people, to have a chance?" she wondered aloud, buying herself time before admitting the inevitable. Emmeline was attempting to braid her hair, pieces of tresses framing her delectable face.

"Pure-blood," she said, a matter-of-fact manner gracing her voice. She took ink and a quill from a small wooden drawer to her left. "So am I writing this letter or not?" She kept her eyes on Lily, waiting for her customary signs of weakness. She was rewarded with a slight sagging at the corners of Lily's lips and a drop of her shoulders.

"Alright then," she said, putting her quill to parchment, "_Dear…James…_"

"_Dear James_," a voice read aloud. The speaker was a dashing lad, the type of boy girls find it oh-so easy to fawn over. He had classically handsome features, which, at that moment, were arranged in his trademark grin.

"_How is your summer so far? Fantastic, no doubt, isn't Sirius staying with you? If so, hey Sirius! And no, your butt doesn't look sexy in those pants._" The reader paused, faking shock. "It most certainly does, Miss Vance," he said and gave said butt a wiggle, "James, tell her she's wrong."

"Get on with the letter, Sirius," said James, ignoring the bottom that was uncomfortably close to his face. He was very curious to discover what would prompt Emmeline to write so early in the summer. Usually she waited till she had exhausted all other options of fun, or needed him for some crazy game. The Vances and The Potters were family friends of a sort. Both pure-blooded and decidedly Gryffindor, they were natural allies in the divided wizarding world. James and Emmeline had known each other forever, growing up in the same circles, and got on well, counting the other as a friend. But to receive a letter from her two weeks into their longest vacation was peculiar, especially when they'd made no previous plans and there were no mutual gatherings they were attending (James usually escorted her, as was proper at their age). In the times they lived in, James couldn't help but wonder if the letter held ill news.

"_Mine has been fun, I've got a friend staying with me –_ Does she? I wonder who?"

"Probably her French cousin, they often see each other in the holidays. You remember? The blonde from the Ministry's Easter Picnic?" James said, slightly exasperated. Sirius just loved to commentate. Most of the time James found it hilarious, it was one of the things he loved about his friend. Sirius' take on the first years sorting had sent his end of the Gryffindor table into uncontrollable laughter the year before, losing several points but completely worth it. Nonetheless,James could be impatient when he wanted something, right now the contents of a letter.

"The 'Are you angry?' girl?" Sirius remembered.

"Yes."

"On with the letter then!" exclaimed Sirius, his arms very Superman before he began to read. "Friend… with me… Ah! –_ and we've been mucking about, as you do. She says hi. –_hello, young damsel – _Are you going to the Wasps' match? If so, we might see you there but Dad's having trouble finding tickets _– Oh, I bet she wants some off us. Yes, yes, I'm continuing – _If you do and us to, we can perhaps meet up? It was great fun last time, you have such freaky Quidditch knowledge!_ – so it _does _impress the ladies, eh, James?"

James rolled his eyes, "Is that all? But the Wasps game isn't for weeks…" he was a little confused. It was nice to hear from Em, but they didn't really correspond frequently in the holidays. An owl at Christmas, a few letters proposing meet ups or invites to parties. But hardly ever more and _never _weeks in advance of a proposed date.

"Hold your hippogriffs, an actor takes his time," Sirius said, winking. "_I hope your family and friends are safe and well and that we'll be seeing each other soon. Love Emmeline _– Ooh, _love_, James. Are you sure you're not…?"

"We're friends, Sirius. Not broom closet buddies."

"She's not bad-looking, though. Wait, there's a postscript… _P.S. We got our Hogwarts letters the other day. No badge, big surprise there. Do you know who the Head Boy is, James? I hope your Dad is being kind – Em,_" Sirius finished, passing the letter to James to prove he'd read it properly.

"I knew she had an ulterior motive," James said, "Although you'd think she'd ask about the Head Girl too… Unless…" It clicked. James knew and begrudged the friendship of Lily and Emmeline. He didn't see why someone he liked had to be so close to someone he didn't care to see, speak with or be near. There were plenty of times he'd avoided Emmeline because Lily was with her, and Emmeline was always fun, even if she did lack a little judgement in friends.

"_Evans_," he groaned, "Head Girl, staying with Em… Oh, she _would_ ask. Well, we're not telling her, it'll be all the more funny when we get to school. Oh, she'll _hate _this."

Lily was sitting at the kitchen window, searchingthe skies when a grand eagle owl flew swiftly into the room. Lily jumped up and grabbed the letter it carried, her green eyes alight with anticipation.

It read: _Dear Em (And Evans. Yes, I know you're there. And Head Girl. Congratulations. That's from Sirius.),_

My summer is spiffing as of yet. Sirius is in training for the Extreme Broom National Champs and we've been teaching him tricks. Remus and Pete have visited for several enlightening days and time is flying. Father is working a lot, mother is worried, but we're all well. 

_We're going to the games, hope to see you there (Are you bringing Evans?). I have a spare ticket if you want it, just the one._

_About the Head Boy, Evans is going to be furious. Sirius and I are absolutely outraged at Dumbledore's lack of proper judgement. Are you going to Melinda's? We're contemplating not, it sounds shitty and she'll be ghastly, as usual._

_Sirius says his butt _is_ hot and he has enclosed a picture. Ignore him, it's what we do._

_See you soon,_

_James._

"What!" yelled Lily, "I'll be _furious_? No name, not even a house! That _bastard!_" she grabbed a strand of hair. Her cheeks were red with rage, clashing terribly with her hair and her clenched fists seemed ready to kill.

"Give me the quill," she said to Emmeline who had started a reply. "He will tell me if I have to strange him for the answer." Emmeline considered informingLily that would be impossible as no one was quite sure where James lived, but was intelligent and got out of the way of her rampaging comrade.

_Dear James and Sirius,_

Glad you're having fun, good luck with the broom thing though I have no idea what it is. It's a little cruel of you to with hold – 

At this point the letter's tone changed. Emmeline's shambolicprint was replaced with cursive and her amicable intentions with fury.

_POTTER! Tell me now, you prat! You are the most _infuriating _boy, you know. Just INSOLENT! It wouldn't hurt to just write a letter with the name, not one little bit. But no, you're James Potter, too good to put something simply because that would ruin your twisted idea of fun! Well, it's called _manners_, Potter, _manners! _I can't believe you, you're such a _bully!_ Oh, and if you don't go to Melinda's you won't get your daily dose of worship. You might be all the better for it, but you'd never listen to me, right? Oh, and Sirius, hey, can you please make him tell?_

_Regards,_

_Lily (or, for James, Evans.)_

"Can you believe she mentioned manners in that?" Sirius joked, trying hard not to laugh at the letter and failing. He liked Lily, especially when she showed so much spirit. And it always amused him to see James ticked off by a girl. However, James didn't treat the letter in the same way. He had started to grind his teeth, a sure sign he was angry. Sirius seemed alarmed and began his habitual feeble attempts to lighten the situation.

"And Gushen likes me! It's only the Quidditch girls who show interest in you. Do you think Lily was – shock, gasp, horror – insulting _me_? Her favourite martian?" Sirius pouted. He had made such a _good _martian last Halloween. James continued to glower. Sirius sighed. And thus the Potter/Evans wars begin. Again. And he'd had such a quiet few months.

"James, where does Emmeline live?" Sirius inquired unassumingly, his hand edging it's way sneakily towards James'.

"Malgre Forest," James replied as he chose a blood red pen to write with, his eyes planted stiffly on the defamatory note.

Sirius didn't wait he grabbed James by a loose arm and held it tightly then concentrated on squeezing them both through space in a way that shouldn't have been possible. It felt unpleasant for a second and then they popped out into sunlight, surrounded by towering trees, a dirt track beneath them.

James was completely stunned, the hasty change of medium disorientating him. He contemplated Sirius, then the ground then the woods around him, understanding slowly trickling in.

"Damn you and your freaky Apparating abilities, Padfoot, damn." And with that Sirius took hold of his hand yet again and wrenched him along the dirt track, a lustrous object in his clutch.

* * *

_Rather short but it ended so nicely there :D. Your mission: to review. Thus win the shiny cookie! _


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